It wasn’t Eileen, but a man, at least six feet tall, who stood in the doorway. Lexi yelped and tried to cover herself, splashing water out of the tub and onto the stone floor.

“Excuse me! I’m in here!” Lexi snapped, her face turning red. The tall man looked unperturbed as he walked over. He stared down at her. A chill ran down Lexi’s spine. The man was not only tall but also incredibly muscular. There wasn’t any likelihood of her successfully defending herself against this intruder.

“I know,” his voice was deep and his accent beautifully lilting, “That is why I have come here to meet with you. As per the message I sent you earlier this morning.”

As he watched her struggle to cover herself, his green eyes showed slight amusement. The rest of his face, however, showed no emotion. He wore a costume, too, a belted tunic and a cloak with seven stripes of colour.

“I had, however, hoped to find you dressed,” he said.
“Then maybe you should have knocked!” Lexi said angrily, “It’s completely inappropriate…”
“For a husband to see his wife naked?” the man asked. Lexi stared at him.
“You’re sorely mistaken, mister. I’m nobody’s wife,” she said. For proof, she held up her left hand and noticed a Claddagh ring on her ring finger for the first time. She blanched.
The man chuckled. He finally turned away from her and opened the door.

“Eileen, please dress Lady Alexandra and then show her the way to the sitting room outside my study downstairs,” he said, his voice oozing authority. Lady Alexandra? Lexi wondered. No one had called her Alexandra since her grandparents died.